New Year's Resolutions for 1965

December 30, 1964
Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. One more day and it will be 1965. Can you believe that? I remember having to get used to writing 1960 on my homework papers. And now I'll be out of school before I have to write 1970. Unless I go to college. Dad says I should, but colleges cost money. He says I can get a scholarship. If I work hard and keep my grades up. So that's why I've got that homework stuff number one on my resolution list.

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? Do you write them down? I think you should else you can just pretend you never really said that you were going to do this or that if you don't have proof. So I wrote down my resolutions and I'm sticking them in the back of my Bible. That way I'll see them every day when I'm keeping that second resolution. 

Everybody should read the Bible through, don't you think? I know there are some chapters that are hard to read. You know, those rules and regulations in the Old Testament about all sorts of things that we don't have to think about now. Dad says that's because Jesus opened up the church for us so that we could get forgiveness without all those sacrifices. He always preaches about that around Christmas time so that we'll remember why Jesus was born. 

But anyway, reading the Bible all the way through is still something good to do, don't you think? I started in January last year, but I only got up to 2 Chronicles. Dad says I can start this year where I left off last year. He says if I'm not going to stick with it, that I should read the New Testament first and then go back to the Old Testament. But I'm going to stick with it this year. I am.

You probably think that third resolution is silly, but I've been telling Wes Zebedee can do tricks. And he can. The only problem is he only does them when he wants to and not when I tell him too. Sometimes he will sit when I tell him to sit, but I think that's just because he was ready to sit anyway. Wes says Zeb can't learn tricks because he's from Jupiter and that up on Jupiter, dogs think they are smarter than people. 

Maybe I should re-think that fourth one. Reading the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress might be too much to expect. Have you ever tried to read Pilgrim's Progress? I read the first few pages last month and it wasn't anything like a Hardy Boy mystery, I'll tell you. But I am going to read it and then some of the classics this year. My English teacher says the best way that I can learn about putting words together is to read the masters. So maybe I should just redo that fourth one to say read a classic novel every month. Maybe Oliver Twist instead.

And of course, you can figure out what I mean by that last one. Tabitha says I'll develop sooner or later. Looks like it's going to be later. I'm in high school. I'm supposed to need to wear a bra. Sigh. 

Oops, maybe I shouldn't be reporting about that. Aunt Love would have a fit if she knew I was writing about my unmentionables. That's what she calls female underwear. Men can talk about wearing shorts, their word for underwear, but not ladies. 

Maybe I should add a number six - to learn to be a lady. But that doesn't sound like a resolution I'd have any hope of keeping.

What's your resolution this year? Did you make any when you where 14 going on 15 like me?